ENVIROSCAN 2014

ELECTROCOMMS AND ENERGYUTILITIES 

INDUSTRY SKILLS COUNCIL LTD 

ENVIROSCAN 2014

ENVIROSCAN 2014 

This report is published by E-Oz Energy Skills Australia 

ISBN ISBN 978-1-921251-46-7 Enviroscan 2014 

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E-Oz Energy Skills Australia is the Australian Government declared Industry Skills Council for the Australian ElectroComms 

and EnergyUtilities industries. This publication has been produced with the assistance of Australian Government funding.

CEO’s Introduction 4 

This edition 4 

The challenge for the VET sector 5 

Context, purpose and audience 6 

Sources of information 7 

Latest intelligence and identified workforce development needs 8 

Changes in consumption 10 

An Internet of things 14 

Peak energy usage 17 

Electricity storage and electric cars 18 

Switch from engineering to residential construction 19 

The role of gas in Australia’s energy mix 22 

VET policy environment 23 

Current Impact Of Training Packages 26 

Impact of workforce development programs 26 

Electrotechnology 28 

Electricity Supply Industry 34 

Gas Supply Industry 38 

Future Directions For Endorsed Components Of Training Packages 40 

Migration to Standards for Training Packages 40 

Migration Strategy 41 

UET Transmission Distribution and Rail Sector Training Package 43 

UEP Electricity Supply Industry – Generation Sector Training Package 43 

UEG Gas Industry Training Package 44 

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV or Drone) Technology 44 

Notes 46 

E-Oz Energy Skills Australia 2014 3


CEO’s Introduction 

This edition 

Welcome to E-Oz Energy Skills Australia’s 2014 edition of the Environmental Scan 

(eScan). 

In the past eScans, we have talked at length about changes in community attitudes 

toward energy generation, use and monitoring of energy reported by our stakeholders 

which, coupled with opportunities provided through technological innovation, have been 

changing the energy landscape in Australia. The implications of these have begun to 

flow through to national data sets. 

Breaking a century long trend of climbing energy consumption, including through 

two world wars, a depression and the global recession of 2009, energy consumption 

has fallen over recent years. At the forefront of this change have been residential 

consumers, who have realised double digit reductions. The question now for the energy 

industry is whether or not this fall can be sustained. 

It is an exciting time for the energy industry. Whilst some of the factors which have 

allowed consumption to fall have been fully realised, opportunities exist for further 

efficiencies. As always, to realise these opportunities will require a skilled workforce to 

identify, design, implement and monitor appropriate solutions. 

Technologies supporting grid/network management and remote operation will occur on 

both sides of the meter. Implementation of advanced technologies will also challenge 

existing jobs requiring skill development with increasing emphasis on regulatory and 

monitoring roles in operating across multiple interconnected systems. 

The format of this edition has again been revised to focus on ‘grass roots’ intelligence over the sectoral 

implication of trends in national data sets. Much of the Latest Intelligence section of this eScan is 

dedicated to an analysis of the changing skills, technologies, work practices and attitudes which will 

allow reduction in energy consumption to become entrenched, accelerating the efficiency of energy 

usage and driving productivity growth throughout our economy. 

The other change of this volume has been the amalgamation of the Latest Intelligence for each of the 

industries into a single chapter. This reflects that continuing integration of the energy is rendering it 

increasingly difficult to talk about technological impacts for one industry in isolation. 

4 E-Oz Energy Skills Australia 2014

The challenge for the VET sector 

I would also like to highlight the primary challenge for the VET sector as a whole in the short to medium 

term – the challenge of building the standard of skills output against a constrained funding backdrop. 

It should come as no surprise to our readers that the national training system at the RTO level across the 

country is facing increasing budgetary constraints, particularly in regard to government funding. This is 

likely to continue for the foreseeable future. 

Responding to these constraints has driven training organisations to trial various strategies in order to 

reduce their costs including increase in tuition fee, alternative delivery methods, reduction in ‘face-toface’ 

teaching hours, more stringent student selection (removal of repeat classes) or decrease in teacher 

support. For example, an institution delivering the high risk electrician qualification has reduced their 

nominal teaching hours by 20% between 2013 and 2014. 

The implications of each of these strategies need to be accurately measured to mitigate the impact of 

funding reductions and inform future policy decisions. It is important to recognise that each of these 

strategies carries a risk that stakeholder (including student, employer and community) outcomes will be 

impaired, some directly in the short term (like reducing teaching hours) or indirectly over the longer term 

(like reducing professional development which can severely impair overall capacity to deliver skills in the 

longer term). 

The fundamental risk to the industry training overall, however, is that institutions will try to cover 

reduced outcomes by ‘lowering their standards’ and issuing qualifications to students who have not 

yet developed required competencies. This is an inherent risk to our training system which relies on the 

same institution to develop and assess competence – particularly with the funding system shifting to 

paying upon successful completions! 

Australia’s national training system is built on national consistency requiring all training providers around 

the country to deliver VET training against the endorsed national standard and requiring apprentices to 

demonstrate competence against a regular set of workplace tasks to a predefined standard. Because 

a qualification means compliance with the same training standards from Hobart to Darwin, it provides a 

form of currency allowing a worker to quickly communicate their skills to an employer. 

Qualifications are not distinguished between providers; therefore, it is particularly critical that standards 

are being applied consistently nationwide. If one provider starts cutting corners, it can undermine public 

confidence in our industry qualifications amongst all stakeholders much more broadly. 

To ensure Australia’s VET system works, employers, regulators and the community at large need to 

be assured that when workers come to them with qualifications, they are competent, having skills, 

knowledge and work experience to perform safely and productively in the workplace. 

If this confidence breaks down, it will have severe implications for every VET graduate holding a 

qualification and every employer looking to hire skilled workers; in high risk, licensed trades, it will pose 

serious threats to community, public safety and asset protection. 

The key to maintaining public confidence in our industry qualifications lies in ensuring that the rigor of 

evidence of competence and assessment is consistent between training providers and students have 

successfully obtained the required skills. 

If effective measures are not in place to ensure the consistency of training outcomes, unprincipled 

providers could do untold damage to the integrity of qualifications and the national training system. 

Industry Skills Councils, as the custodians of industry Training Packages, continue playing an important 

role in this regard by providing consistent industry validated tools for collecting evidence. 



Context, purpose and audience 

Rapid advances in technology, seismic shifts in global demography and rise of the conscientious 

consumers have left economists and policymakers recognising the limited relevance of historical trends 

and data as a reliable indicator of the future. 

Looking to the past is particularly unhelpful when attempting to predict industry’s future workforce and 

skill development needs, particularly as Australia is journeying through a period without precedent, 

where whole industries are evolving, converging or re-locating and new job roles emerging while others 

becoming obsolete. 

Leading developed nations are now establishing ‘early warning systems’ to quickly detect the onset of 

trends and building agile vocational training systems capable of responding once issues are identified. 

Environmental Scans have been conceived on this basis. 

The Scan is produced by E-Oz Energy Skills Australia, the Industry Skills Council for the energy sector 

industries, which undertakes contemporary, high quality analysis and intelligence on the profile and skills 

needs of the current and future energy sector workforce. 

Based on real-time industry views and evidence from across the Australia, the Environmental Scan 

gives readers a clear understanding of the key factors currently shaping and impacting on workforce 

development and how well the national training system, its products and services, and industry itself 

are responding. 

Grass roots insight and immediacy of industry intelligence are what sets the Scan apart from other 

reports in the national training system. For this reason, the Scan is not focused on already published 

statistics and economic analyses found elsewhere which, by their very nature, are typically historical. 

Rather, it draws on a range of topical sources such as the latest industry, enterprise and government 

research, and international developments. It builds on intelligence gathered from on-going visits and 

conversations with industry across the country, key stakeholders, regulators and critically, the people 

doing the jobs across the sectors, and who continue to experience firsthand the issues needing to be 

written about. 

As a template document, restricted in size, the Scan does not seek to capture every issue within every 

sector. It is a short snapshot of a continually evolving story that is intended to alert and inform a wide 

audience and enhance their capacity to act. 

The Scan’s formal audience is the Department of Industry, the Australian Workforce and Productivity 

Agency and the National Skills Standards Council but its relevance extends far beyond and continues 

to be used extensively by state and territory governments, industry bodies, enterprises and the broader 

skills and workforce development sector. 

The 2014 Environmental Scan has been produced with the assistance of funding provided by the 

Commonwealth Government through the Department of Industry. 


Sources of information 

As always, the content of this year’s Environmental Scan has been informed through the ISC’s 

stakeholders via its consultative networks, including; 

• E-Oz Board of Directors, 

• General Standing Committees of the Board, 

• Sector Councils, 

• Industry-specific National Training Advisory Groups (NTAGs) 

• sector-specific Technical Advisory Committees (TACs), 

• National Project Steering Committees 

In jurisdictional matters, this network is supported by the State and Territory Industry Training Advisory 

Bodies (ITABs) servicing the ElectroComms and EnergyUtilities industries across Australia. Each year, 

E-Oz Energy Skills Australia formally engages the ITAB network to provide State/Territory-specific 

industry intelligence. This intelligence and ITAB reports to Government have been utilised to inform this 

2014 Environmental Scan. 

In addition to these formal structures, E-Oz actively collects ‘grass-roots’ industry intelligence from a 

number of key stakeholder consultation forums including: an annual National Workshop Series involving 

one or more stakeholder consultation workshops in each state and territory, the Annual E-Oz Conference 

(plus associated industry/sector specific meetings) and project meetings conducted throughout the year. 

Grass root intelligence is increasingly collected by targeted electronic surveys, which allow the ISC to 

reach specific stakeholder groups. Strong industry support for the ISC is demonstrated by the high 

response rate observed; making these surveys an effective tool for collecting disaggregated data for our 

industries. Surveys include; 

• Stakeholder feedback 

• Environmental Scan 

• Industry Leader 

E-Oz would like to acknowledge and thank all stakeholders who have contributed to these processes, 

helping to ensure that this report reflects the current state of the industry and how this is expected to 

evolve in the short to medium term. 



Latest intelligence and identified 

workforce development needs 

The energy sector underpins the operation of the broader economy, providing access to safe, reliable 

and efficient energy, harnessed to a myriad of productive applications. 

The skills base of the energy workforce underpins Australia’s capacity to build and maintain energy 

network infrastructure, service consumer demand, disseminate new technology into the community and 

respond to emergencies (to protect our communities and secure energy supply and service). 

E-Oz Energy Skills Australia’s primary role, as the Industry Skills Council for the energy sector, is to work 

with employers to maintain, develop and disseminate industry performance standards via endorsed 

national Training Packages in response to; 

• Changes in technology 

• Changes in industry regulation 

• Changes in industry work practices 

These standards need to be both ahead of the game, ready to support the rapid implementation of new 

technologies, and constantly revised, supporting established job roles through innovation processes and 

procedures to boost productivity. 

The need for skills standards to be highly responsive means that some of the ISC’s activities may not achieve 

implementable outcomes, as an emerging technology is replaced by a newer system before it matures. 

For training to support and facilitate changes of the nature outlined above it must take account of the 

time lags inherent in: 

• the training system 

• the adoption of new technology 

• the introduction of regulatory or legislative changes 

• changes in policy direction at national or jurisdictional levels 

• the acceptance of changed work practices 

E-Oz’s response is strongly focussed on the role of skills and skills formation as a vital part of economic 

development and the technical innovation which enhances productivity and outcomes for the community. 

The range of activities related to industry innovation or technological change reported below do not 

represent “picking of winners”. The ISC attempts to examine and, where requested/approved by 

industry, develop appropriate training standards for all technologies/systems which employers feel have 

a realistic chance of being implemented. 


An example of the system working well can be seen in the impact of training in the small scale 

photovoltaic (PV) generation roll-out across Australia. Driven by consumer demand, government 

incentives and a steep price reduction due to the maturing of the technology, the installation of PV 

systems rose steeply from 2009 to over 1 million rooftop installations nationally. 

Industry had identified and codified in the nationally endorsed Electrotechnology Training Package the 

competencies required for the design, installation and maintenance of these systems, as early as 2004. 

These standards remained nearly unused for years but their existence allowed industry to respond to 

the demand, when it came, without having to wait for appropriate training standards to be agreed and 

endorsed; allowing employers to ramp up their capacity to install PV systems, to take advantage of a 

commercial opportunity. 

Technical skills based on nationally endorsed standards are key elements in the successful deployment 

of new technologies. It may be argued that the availability of these technical skills is a precursor to 

acceptance of a new technology in the market, as investors seek assurance that their capital is protected 

by adequate support services. 

Understanding which skills will be required by energy sector employers in the medium term is particularly 

challenging in the current, highly uncertain, environment. A global revolution is taking place in relation to 

the way energy is produced, distributed, managed and consumed. Understanding skill demand therefore 

has a technological, governmental and individual component. 

In the photovoltaic example above a government initiative, a gradual shift in consumer preferences and 

a technological leap combined to drive an explosion in skill demand. Allowing market forces to operate 

effectively requires developing skill standards across a range of occupations which currently have 

minimal demand, in order to remove a potential barrier to their implementation. 

What is clear is that establishing a network which will allow for greater data collection and reporting 

will be vital as consumers seek to actively or passively (through outsourcing) manage their energy 

usage. Optimising these systems at various scales will require energy auditors and systems developers/ 

designers and installers, and will be facilitated by the ‘internet of things’, which will see connected 

devices communicate to regulate their collective usage. 

Identifying optimum outcomes will also require further application of user pays principles, supported 

by access to enabling skill capacity, to prioritise behaviour which allows efficient usage of shared 

energy networks. 



Changes in consumption 

In 2013 for the fourth year in a row electricity consumption fell in Australia. This is certainly without 

precedent in Australian history (although accurate statistics on aggregate electricity usage are difficult 

to compile given the fragmented history data collection across various regional energy markets) and 

challenges traditional assumptions about electricity demand in modern society. Against a backdrop of 

rising GDP this represents a significant improvement in energy productivity. 

This national decline is reflected in aggregate consumption data from the National Electricity Market 

(NEM), which measures wholesale electricity generation provided to electrical distributors across of 

Queensland, New South Wales (inc. ACT), Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia (this is the longest 

interconnected power system in the world) which shows a 5.85% decrease in aggregate consumption in 

2012/13 from the 2008/09 peak. 

Although some Electricity Supply Industry representatives had raised the possibility of falling demand to 

Energy Skills Australia (reported in 2011, 2012 and 2013 Environmental Scans), it is no exaggeration to 

say that the extent of this fall took everyone by surprise. Indeed the Australian Energy Market Operator’s 

predictions from early 2010 were for an average annual increase in demand of 2.1% across the NEM for 

the next decade 1 . In actuality, since that prediction, energy demand has fallen by an average of 1.5% per 

annum. Compounded this amounts to over 30 Terawatt Hours of non-realised demand (over 16% less 

electricity required in just four years!). 

National Electricity Market electricity consumption 

220 

Tasmanian entry 

200 

Terawatt hours 

180 

160 

2012-13 

2011-12 

2010-11 

2009-10 

2008-09 

2007-08 

2006-07 

2005-06 

2004-05 

2003-04 

2002-03 

2001-02 

2000-01 

1999-00 

The second major wholesale electricity network in the country, the South West Interconnected System 

(SWIS) which services the major population centres in Western Australia, has also experienced a 

reduction in aggregate electricity consumption, albeit not so sharp as the much larger NEM and 

beginning a year later (from 2010). 

It is particularly encouraging that this reduction has occurred through a period of continued 

economic growth (requiring network expansion) maintained throughout the period. Indeed, as the 

number of dwellings has increased, the average consumption per household has fallen even further 

than the aggregate. 

Understanding whether this reduction is a windfall or represents a change in the trajectory of electricity 

demand is essential in planning Australia’s energy future. It can also provide guidance on whether these 

factors can and should (to the extent that the reduction represents improved energy productivity) be 

maintained, and the nature of policy/industry/consumer input required to extend their influence. 

1 Electricity Statement of Opportunities 2010, Australian Energy Market Operator 


Industry intelligence, particularly from representatives in the Electricity Supply Industry, suggests that 

four main factors have been involved in the reduction; 

1. Energy Efficiency: The largest single portion of the reduction in electricity demand is linked to the 

implementation of energy efficiency measures, particularly regulated standards for buildings and appliances. 

The inclusion of energy efficiency measures for all building classifications in the National Construction 

Code since 2010 has significantly reduced the energy required to heat and cool premises, the largest 

factor in a building’s energy consumption. Technological improvements, again supported by regulated 

minimum standards, have brought significant efficiencies in lighting premises, the next major factor 

in a building’s consumption. Although these classifications only apply to new builds or extensive 

refurbishments, they are having a flow through effect which will continue to be felt for decades as 

older building are replaced or refurbished. 

In the residential sector, National Construction Code classifications have helped to reverse the trend 

of increasing household energy usage due to increasing house sizes and more appliances. The 

Government’s recent Energy White Paper Issues Paper highlighted that modern houses are 30% more 

efficient to heat and cool than a house built just a decade ago. 

In addition to facilitating a reduction in aggregate electricity consumption, standards for appliances 

(particularly refrigerators, air-conditioners and televisions) are having an impact on peak demand; 

which traditionally occurs when people return home from work and switch on their appliances. 

Efficiency standards for appliances have a much faster flow through period than premises standards, 

with the vast majority of gains to be realised within a decade. 

Extending this influence: The good news is that regulatory standards will continue to have flow 

through effects on electricity consumption, as old appliances and buildings are replaced with new 

compliant units. 

Despite this, the effects of current standards are clearly finite and ensuring a continuation of 

improvements in energy productivity will require the regular revision of energy efficiency standards. 

These standards should be maintained through a dialogue with industry and consumers, to ensure 

that they are set at an appropriate level to deliver cost-effective efficiency gains across the economy. 

Skill implications: From the training side, the embedding of energy efficiency and sustainability units 

into the core of all energy sector qualifications and energy efficiency considerations into existing 

standards (now completed) will ensure that new tradespeople, or those who undertake specialised 

training, will apply energy efficiency practices into all their operations. 

While this will provide for the gradual upgrading of the skills base, the cost-benefit of rolling out 

additional energy efficiency training to existing workers should be examined. 

E-Oz will continue to conduct research on technical aspects of energy efficiency and incorporate 

related knowledge, skills and work performance capabilities into nationally endorsed units of 

competency, including those for: 

• systems operators 

• systems integrators 

• facility/building managers 

• installers and maintenance staff, 

• system designers 

This will involve engagement with systems and equipment manufacturers to ensure that via 

appropriate nationally endorsed Training Package standards, skills for the installation, maintenance 

and integration of new technologies associated with smart systems are available to industry, in a 

timely fashion. 



2. Consumer response to rising prices: For most of the past century in Australia electricity prices have 

been falling in real terms. In the past decade however this trend has reversed and prices have begun 

to increase, accelerating over the past five years to over 10% per annum. 

This has led to residential energy customers seeking ways of reducing their consumption, which they have 

done very effectively; household energy consumption has fallen by about 13% in the past four years. 

Over the same period business demand has been flat, which is still a significant achievement given 

that consumption has risen consistently for the previous century, and the economy has produced 

more goods and services year on year. 

Extending this influence: The keys to incentivising energy efficiency are to increase the benefits 

consumers can realise through their investment and communicating that message effectively. 

Consumer awareness about electricity usage has increased markedly in the past few years, paving 

the way for the reduction in consumption. Some of this will happen naturally, as new, more efficient 

technologies become available. Some of it will be regulated, as increasingly stringent energy efficiency 

standards are required for new domestic and commercial appliances and applications. Some of it will 

be behavioural, as consumers change their consumption patterns in response to price. 

Measurement is the first step. Allowing customers to more accurately understand their usage (whether 

directly or indirectly through a representative third party) provides a framework for assessing efficiency 

opportunities and designing tailored responses. This will be facilitated through access to the ‘internet 

of things’ by which all manner of objects will report on their performance (including energy usage) and 

may be managed intelligently. 

Skills impact: E-Oz will continue to review existing competencies in systems integration, control, 

instrumentation and communications technologies in response to evolving work practices and 

technological possibilities. 

Similarly, the industry has identified and maintains a suite of technical energy assessment competencies 

and related qualifications to ensure that industrial, commercial and residential consumers are provided 

with appropriate technical advice to enable them to maximise energy efficiency. 

3. Distributed generation: Increased adoption of distributed generation systems acts as a substitute for 

centralised, wholesale generation, removing demand from the wholesale energy markets (although not 

reducing the true amount of electricity used). The proliferation of these systems (more than a million 

rooftop solar photovoltaic systems have been installed) is responsible for a portion of the reduction 

in electricity consumption from the NEM and SWIS and, because electricity is generated close to 

the source of consumption, transmission losses may be substantially reduced adding to energy 

productivity. 

Importantly, distributed generation is not limited to photovoltaic and includes a wide variety of sources 

such as micro hydro plants, micro wind farms, landfill gas plants, biomass cogeneration plants and 

gas fuelled Co/Tri-generation plants at small industrial sites or commercial buildings. Co/tri-generation 

systems provide an additional dimension of efficiency by employing waste heat from electricity 

generation to heat and/or cool a building. 

It is somewhat difficult to quantify the impact of these systems as generation occurs ‘behind the meter’ 

with production difficult to differentiate from energy efficiency measures which reduce consumption. 

It is also worth noting that distributed generation may place an increased strain on the electricity 

network which needs to accommodate these, often intermittently generating, sources of electricity into 

a network wide supply/demand balance. Also, although aggregate electricity demand from premises 

may be negative (i.e. it develops more electricity than it uses), there is still a cost associated with 

maintaining the network it uses to distribute this energy and provide a backup to domestic production. 

Ensuring the true costs and benefits of distributed generation, accounting for price fluctuations in the 

wholesale market, are reflected will guarantee the largest benefits are realised by all participants. 


Extending this influence: Because distributed generation must necessarily be connected to the grid, 

installation and maintenance of these systems requires an electrical license which is contributing to 

the rapid growth of demand for electricians (E-Oz’s 2013 Environmental Scan noted that between 

the 2006 and 2011 Censuses employment of electricians grew at three times the rate of the national 

workforce and that the growth rate appears to be accelerating further). Developing skills to design and 

install distributed generation systems often requires ‘post trade’ training. 

As generation technologies are often substitutes, their uptakes are also highly technology and price 

sensitive and hence volatile. In this environment, the key focus is on ensuring appropriate technical 

standards are available for all viable technologies to allow electrical services firms to develop capacity 

rapidly in the face of changing market conditions. 

Workforce development programs like the National Workforce Development Fund (NWDF), which 

allow employers to identify their own skills needs, are essential in this environment. They provide 

flexibility for employers to adapt as conditions change on the ground. As mentioned earlier, the 

effective combination of early standard identification and demand driven training was demonstrated 

by the uptake of post trade photovoltaic training, including under the NWDF, which saw thousands 

of electricians up skill over a couple of year period facilitating the installation of one million roof top 

distributed generation systems. 

Extending consumer or network control to these devices will be important in ensuring they are 

managed effectively, contributing to overall network stability and efficiency as an integral part of the 

‘internet of things’. 

Skill implications: Technologies currently being investigated for development of standards for 

biomass, heat exchange and tidal. 

At larger scale, new units have been developed (and are awaiting endorsement) in the ESI Generation 

Operations and ESI Generation Maintenance disciplines which incorporate energy efficiency outcomes 

related to the installation, operation and maintenance of generation systems deployed as distributed 

co/tri-generation systems. These include: 

• Distributed Generation 

• Identify opportunities to apply co/tri-generation to enhance energy efficiency 

• Coordinate services to install and maintain energy efficient tri-generation systems 

• Operate tri-generation plant and equipment for energy efficiency 

• Maintain tri-generation plant and equipment for energy efficiency 

• Utilise data collection and analysis for energy efficient tri-generation operations 

• Coordinate tri-generation to meet local energy service demand 

• Manage tri-generation systems for energy efficiency 

Further work has been flagged to: 

• Up skill and cross skilling of electrical workers to install, operate and maintain off-grid ESI systems 

in the resources sector including HV and LV Switching. 

• Amendment and further development of skills in electrical, transmission and distribution, gas and 

air-conditioning disciplines associated to co-generation or tri-generation technologies (combined 

heat and power). 

• Further development and review of existing renewable competencies especially where these are, as 

technologies are disseminated, moving from specialist to generalist skills. 

• Engagement of stakeholders investing in biomass based renewables to determine the extent of 

specific skills needs related to installation, operation, compliance and maintenance 

4. Structural economic shift: It is necessary to mention, although of limited relevance in this context, that 

a portion of the reduction in electricity usage relates to a structural shift in manufacturing away from 

energy intensive industries. A reliable supply of low cost electricity, along with good access to natural 

resources led to the establishment to steel, aluminium and oil refining industries in Australia over 

the past twenty years, which have been closed since 2009 due to various factors (including the high 

Australian dollar and rising electricity prices). 

Although these closures have reduced electricity demand in the NEM, there is no net energy 

productivity benefit if these industries are simply moving reporting jurisdictions, rather than being 

made more efficient. 

This change accounts for no more than 10% of the reduction in electricity demand on the NEM since 2009. 



An Internet of things 

In addition to this sudden decrease in consumption, a more gradual change has been occurring in the 

production and consumption of energy since at least the turn of the century. This has been most obvious 

in the electricity generation sector where, in 2000, electricity was produced predominantly via coal fired 

generation and hydro-electricity. Now, less than 15 years on, there have been a number of coal fired 

generation plants closed and the current mix of generation sources includes: 

• Large scale gas fired peaking and base load 

• Large scale wind 

• Large scale solar photovoltaic or thermal 

• Small scale wind 

• Small scale solar photovoltaic 

• Micro - hydro 

• Co/Tri-generation – Waste heat and Combined Heat and Power 

• Biomass 

Additionally there are pilot programs in technologies such as: 

• Tidal generation 

• Ocean wave/current generation 

• Geothermal technology 

Similarly gas as an energy source has also been marked by increased diversity of sources including: 

• Liquified Petroleum Gas 

• Liquified Natural Gas 

• Coal Seam Gas 

• Shale Gas 

This burgeoning of alternate sources and technologies for energy production means that consumers 

now have more choice. As detailed below, consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the economic 

impacts of energy consumption and translating this awareness into the adoption strategies for efficiency. 

These shifts have had notable impacts on skills formation and demand, particularly in areas such as 

photovoltaics and large scale wind which have given rise to the identification and endorsement of new 

qualifications in response to the demand for specialised skills. 

This proliferation of generation sources may be characterised as part of a ‘first wave’ in Australia’s 

strategy to move to a lower carbon, energy efficient economy. It has been accompanied by other less 

visible technologies which have enormous potential to change the way energy is produced, distributed, 

managed and consumed. These include: 

• The roll-out of smart meter technology 

• The uptake of smart consumer appliances e.g. air-conditioners 

• Replacement of high energy use equipment with more efficient systems e.g. 

• Lighting 

• Water heaters 

• Televisions 

• Introduction of integrated management and control systems at various scales 

• Burgeoning communications technology 

What Internet? 

The term “network” is readily applied to energy generation, transmission and distribution and is 

easily understood when used at various scales e.g. local distribution or the national grid, as a way of 

understanding and managing energy supply and usage. Energy grids are, due ownership, jurisdictional 

boundaries, voltages etc, essentially networks of networks which have a degree of built in redundancy. 

Such a network of networks is called an internet. 

Each consumer also has in their installation, a local network which comprises the system and appliances 

within the home, building or factory. Each consumer has a point of attachment which connects their local 

system to the energy network. This local network is broadly considered “behind the meter” and separate 

from the grid. 


What Things? 

Each of the technologies listed above can become parts of an internet of things which together provide 

new ways for the various players in the energy market to interact. Such technologies will connect local 

networks (homes, buildings, factories) with the energy grid in new ways, extending the network of 

networks to form an internet of things. 

For example; the combination of smart metering with intelligent consumer appliances and systems will 

extend the networks or networks to another layer, bringing the local “intranet of things” from behind 

the meter, into the internet of things. Interconnection of appliances locally and as part of the internet of 

things can also increase efficiency by identifying synergies or resolving conflicts. 

The installation, calibration, synchronisation and interconnection of intelligent systems and redundant 

sources of supply into an “internet of things” which, like the computer internet, makes each node in the 

system both a point of use (output) and a source of information (input) will contribute to energy efficiency 

and security whilst providing intelligence on network usage to inform the decision making of consumers, 

intermediaries and suppliers. 

This internet of things will characterise a second wave in Australia’s strategy to move to a lower carbon, 

energy efficient economy by increasing the availability of information to stakeholders on either side of the 

meter. Built on intelligent appliances and systems, which as integral components of the energy network 

connect all other devices producing, distributing, storing or consuming energy, the internet of things can 

in real time communicate meaningful information about: 

• energy sources 

• actual and predicted energy availability 

• actual and predicted price 

• historical, actual and predicted appliance usage 

• aggregate consumer usage (all appliances) at various scales 

• aggregate network demand at various scales 

Importantly, at all scales, the internet of things will impact the linear relationships between individual 

appliances and consumption. Via the internet of things consumers will seek optimisation and maximise 

benefits by being able to (either automatically or by human intervention) take into account how all 

elements of the consumer’s local “intranet of things” e.g. a home, business or factory, work together. 

This will be facilitated by the consideration of historical, actual and predicted costs and usage data to 

inform consumer choice. 

Appropriate combinations of local and distributed generation and storage will also be an essential part of 

the internet of things ensuring high reliability and lowest cost through redundancy of service. 

As capital costs and risks associated with technology choice are always high for early adopters, this 

re-conceptualisation of the energy network as an internet of things has at best only partially been 

understood and operationalised. Once both the concept of the internet of things and the technologies 

which empower its existence and expansion are established in industry and consumer thinking, 

opportunities for the accommodation of individual preferences via various interfaces are nearly limitless. 

As with other interactive, data intensive systems, the mining of available data will serve the needs of 

both consumers and providers. Better data can in turn be leveraged into more efficient solutions and, 

potentially, smarter integrated systems for energy management and efficiency operating via common 

backbones provided by high speed communications technologies. 

Benefits to both consumer and suppliers may accrue from other non-energy related services delivered 

via the internet of things e.g. appliance firmware updates, consumable ordering etc. 

Skills impact: These technologies will facilitate coordination between generators, network operators, 

service providers and consumers to holistically impact energy usage, network stability, consumer and 

suppliers costs, energy productivity and optimum investment levels. Therefore it is imperative that energy 

sector industries identify and endorse appropriate skills standards to ensure that skills are available to 

support the deployment of these technologies. 

New work practices will be embedded across a range of energy sector roles, from retail representatives 

to energy brokerage, performance auditing and management, network and system design and 

installation and maintenance. 

The deployment of these technologies require that new technical and service skills to be available, 

within applicable regulatory frameworks, to support the installation, calibration, interconnection and 

synchronisation of intelligent appliances and systems at various scales, both within and between networks. 



Significant efficiencies will be facilitated by improving the industrial computing and systems integration 

skills base of the energy sector workforce, facilitating the automation and interconnection of networks 

of ‘things’ (which may be devices, appliances, processes, systems or anything else). Importantly this will 

impact all of the energy sector trades, extending the essential skills set of tradespeople whilst ensuring 

coverage of existing skill requirements. 

The all-encompassing nature of this network will have clear implications for training right across the 

energy sector, requiring a coordinated response from Registered Training Organisations, VET regulators 

and funding bodies. The importance of ensuring quality delivery of ‘base trade’ skills for energy sector 

tradespeople whilst developing capacity to provide for the development of skills for the deployment of 

these technologies will be the main challenge. 

The energy sector industries will need to recognise new interdependencies within and between 

traditional trades and seek ways to ensure that standards and work practices support efficient outcomes. 

It is imperative that industry identify and endorse appropriate skills standards to ensure that skills are 

available to support the deployment of these technologies. 

The training needs associated with the deployment of technologies in the internet of things will have the 

following aspects which industry will need to address: 

• Skills for the installation, calibration, interconnection and synchronisation of intelligent appliances and 

systems 

• Skills to integrate systems into a networks at various scales 

• Skills to communicate with both internal and external customers on the deployment of these 

technologies 

Information on training standards development and implementation for particular emerging technologies 

which become part of the internet of things is throughout the Environmental Scan. 


Peak energy usage 

The electricity network, the ‘poles and wires’ that transmit electricity around the country, is built 

to withstand the peak level of demand on the network without failing (causing brownouts or even 

blackouts). This ‘peak demand’ traditionally occurs on the hottest days of the year as people move 

indoors and use air conditioners to control the temperature. 

In this way, the cost of network peak demand is reflected in the fact that approximately $11 billion of 

NEM assets are only used for a hundred hours or so every year. These costs are essentially fixed and are 

not dependant on the quantity of electricity sold. 

Under current pricing regimes however, cost recovery for electricity usage occurs primarily through 

aggregate consumption (with some limited price differentiation based on time of day). This creates little 

incentive for consumers to alter their behaviour other than to reduce overall usage, which they have done. 

As noted above, aggregate electricity consumption has fallen for the past four years and, subject to the 

capacity of the system to sustain the underlying factors, may continue to fall in the next few years. The 

problem is that peak demand hasn’t really fallen. During the extreme heat at the beginning of 2014, peak 

demand was close to the all-time peak experienced on Black Saturday in 2009. 

Because these network charges are locked in, but the total has reduced, those same network charges 

are now spread over fewer kilowatt hours (kWh). Perversely, reducing daily electricity consumption does 

little to reduce the cost of the energy network and can actually drive the price per unit up. 

Because peak demand is the primary investment driver, getting prices under control requires managing 

peak demand. The ‘internet of things’, including the drivers of peak demand, will provide a framework for 

intelligently managing usage to shift non-essential consumption to other periods. 

Skills impact: Further incentives to encourage consumers to manage their consumption in peak periods 

are necessary to reduce network augmentation costs. Some distributors are calling for tariff reform which 

moves to time of use pricing, with a greater focus on connection charges, to more closely reflect user 

pay principles. 

Regardless of the method chosen to incentivise the management of peak demand, methods to measure 

usage at time of use (smart meters) are a prerequisite. 

E-Oz will continue to research and develop Training Package components associated with peak 

demand management, including competencies related to the development, installation, integration and 

management of smart appliances, which allow a consumer to shift load from peak periods. 

The CSIRO has trialled automated control technologies for heating, lighting and air-conditioning which 

indicate a 13% reduction in aggregate electricity usage and a massive 30% off peak demand. 

The strong industry demand for automation skills is demonstrated through the uptake of the Certificate 

IV in Instrumentation under the National Workforce Development Fund (NWDF – see relevant section of 

report), which has held up over the term of the program, implying continued unmet demand from industry 

and consumers. 



Electricity storage and electric cars 

Predicting electricity demand at a given moment is extremely difficult and involves a multitude of 

variables, however producing too much or too little electricity can seriously destabilise the grid and must 

be managed. 

Grid operators maintain the current on the grid by managing generation, using sophisticated forecasting 

tools to predict demand ahead of time and then buying electricity from generators to meet that demand. 

The challenge of instantaneously matching output from generators to demand from consumers is 

amplified by intermittent generation sources such as wind and solar, whose output is uncertain. Without 

the installation of storage capacity, the installation of intermittent capacity must be supported by 

‘peaking’ plants, which can respond rapidly to fluctuations. The capital costs of maintaining ‘peaking’ 

plants, which may not be in frequent use, is borne by the network and consumers. 

An electrical storage device can help in this regard by adding or removing current as needed. At a grid 

level, electrical energy can be stored when production exceeds demand and released back to the grid 

when demand exceeds production, absorbing fluctuations which could damage or destablise the grid. 

This provides far more flexibility. Inflexible base load generators (often cheaper than other forms of 

generation) can be run at higher levels than would be possible in a system which cannot readily absorb 

excess capacity, improving efficiency while potentially reducing costs. Additionally, electricity generated 

by intermittent power sources like wind or solar can be flexibly managed, reducing their impact on the 

grid and improving energy security. 

Distributed storage solutions, dispersed throughout the community, provide the additional benefit of 

directly providing electricity to local consumers. During peak periods, where networks are close to their 

carrying capacity, providing power locally can protect network assets. This has both long and short term 

benefits in relation to energy security and reducing the need for expensive network augmentation. 

While energy storage is not cheap, proven technology is already available and emerging technologies 

suggest that significant improvements in performance and price are likely to occur in the short to 

medium term. An incentive regime which allows commercial and residential storage owners to capture 

the benefits of their investment, realising arbitrage profits by taking advantage of variable electricity 

prices, would encourage investment whilst stabilising the grid and reducing the impacts of peak demand. 

Diagram 1.1 – Battery on Grid, Distributed Storage Model 


For all of these reasons, electricity storage systems are predicted to become an increasingly important 

element of electrical infrastructure. 

Electric cars: Most discussion of electrical vehicles focuses on their consumer benefits, such as the 

comparative simplicity and efficiency of electric motors over combustion ones and cheap running costs, 

or disadvantages, such as long recharge times and limited range. 

The benefits they can provide to the electrical grid are less often considered but, capturing these, could 

inspire more wide scale adoption, while providing significant benefits to all electrical consumers. 

The Energy Supply Association of Australia (ESAA) recently released a report highlighting the benefits 

of large scale electrical vehicle adoption on network stability and utilisation. The report noted that 

improved monitoring and control infrastructure (effectively the ‘internet of things’) could allow network 

owners to directly manage the charging of cars, essentially using them as network assets to realise the 

benefits highlighted above, absorbing fluctuations in generation and mitigating the impacts (and costs) 

of peak demand. 

Agreements to use electrical cars in this manner would naturally require the consent of owners, who 

would expect to be duly compensated for the use of their assets. 

Additionally, as vehicles would primarily be charged in off peak periods, they would increase network 

utilisation without requiring additional network augmentation. This would allow essentially fixed network 

costs (described in the Peak Demand section of the Environmental Scan) to be spread over a larger 

number of kilowatt hours, lowering costs per unit. 

The report estimates that approximately 500,000 electric vehicles could be added to the grid without 

requiring new network infrastructure. 

Developing these sort of collaborative arrangements, with significant benefits to all electricity network 

participants including those without electrical vehicles, rely on automation systems which allow for 

coordination between appliances/devices across extensive networks. 

Skills impacts of electricity storage: Implementation of on and off grid storage solutions will have 

impacts across the entire Energy Supply Industry – Transmission, Distribution and Rail Training Package, 

particularly in qualifications focused on system design, control and management. 

Smaller scale residential systems will likely require post trade training for electricians, particularly for 

design of systems including photovoltaic and allow for remote monitoring/management. 

There are various competing technologies in this space and, as always, the challenge will be to ensure 

appropriate standards are in place to remove barriers 

Switch from engineering to residential construction 

More immediately, short term demand for energy sector workers is primarily driven by the level of 

construction activity. This has both direct and indirect causes, as the construction sector is the largest 

direct employer of energy sector workers and has an indirect link to the level of aggregate energy 

demand, as well as driving the need for upgrades and extensions of energy utilities. 

Nationally, a rebalancing is occurring as a significant period of engineering construction (primarily in the 

mining sector) winds down and residential construction picks up; driven by historically low interest rates 

and pent up demand from income and population growth. The net effect of this switch is likely to be 

positive construction employment, the corollary of which is an increase in energy sector employment. 

Only Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT are expected to experience flat demand in residential construction 

across 2014 before growth kicks off from 2015. All other jurisdictions can expect strong growth in 

residential construction, especially the Sydney region. 

As expected, engineering construction will weaken furthest in Queensland and Western Australia; the 

States which experienced the strongest growth through the mining boom. Demand for energy sector 

training in Western Australia will be hit particularly hard, as displaced mining sector workers flood the 

residential construction industry. 

Engineering construction will actually strengthen in Tasmania and the Northern Territory over the next 

year, as existing projects ramp up. 

Over the medium term engineering construction nationally will be driven by infrastructure upgrades, 

particularly in the large population centres of Victoria and NSW. 

The overall outlook is the weakest in the ACT, which seems set for an extended period of weak 

construction demand across all sectors. 



Skills impact: Industry intelligence is that the Electrotechnology sector, particularly apprenticeships 

for licensed electricians, will weaken in the short term due to the combination of this shift in industry 

focus and changed industrial arrangements for industry apprentices. This is already evident in reported 

apprentice commencements in 2013-14. 

Completion projections for 2014-June, 2017 are derived from NCVER commencement and completion 

data 2010 to June 2013, using average completion modifier rate of the past four and half years. 

Figure 1.1: NCVER commencement and completion data projections for Electrotechnology 

apprentices (ANZSCO – 341, 342), 2005-2017 

12000 

10000 

Commencements 

Completions observed 

Completions projection 

8000 

6000 

4000 

2000 

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 

Despite continued reporting of skills shortages by industry participants, commencement data 

demonstrates that electrical apprentice completions (Figure 1.1) will peak in 2014 and then fall away, 

driving medium term deterioration in skills supply. 

Reductions in resource allocations to trade programs by RTOs (due to their own funding pressures) are 

likely to further impact completion rates, suggesting that projections in Figure 1.1 may be optimistic 

(relying on historic trends). 

Compounded by concern about an ageing workforce and the time lags between vocational training 

commencements and completion, this situation again places the industry facing shortages in the 

medium term. 

Unfortunately, for the industry to respond to the challenges of the deployment of intelligent systems 

and smart appliances, investment in skills is required. In the short term, it appears that these skills will 

need to be developed post-trade in existing workers, signalling a greater need for industry workforce 

development strategies. 

In the medium term the completion of the transition from engineering to construction, a return to growth 

and adjustment to new industrial arrangements should see apprentice numbers rebound. 

The drop in apprenticeship numbers will have an impact over the medium term and industry led 

programs for up-skilling existing workers, improving apprenticeship quality and completions and skilled 

migration, must be continued to meet the irrevocable proliferation of advanced electrical appliances and 

systems. Electrical contractors already looking to expand their services offerings to remain competitive 

(against local and internationally based competitors) are creating multifaceted roles within their 

organisations to consolidate costs and increase productivity. 

With the expected increase in demand for post trade training to meet the above needs of industry, RTO’s 

will need to be flexible and offer modes of training to suit employees who are unable to attend training in 

a traditional manner. 


Not all RTO’s are able to meet the needs of industry in their region as they are rigid in their delivery of 

specific competencies rather than providing flexibility in meeting industry needs. It is clear that cost and 

capability are the drivers in these situations. RTOs improving industry engagement and investing in the 

capacity and currency of trainers and teachers must occur for skills needs to be met. 

Industry reported figures for transmission and distribution show that across all networks apprentices 

comprise 6% of the electrical workforce. Recent intelligence indicates that the 2014 apprentice intake 

represents a significant reduction below this level. 

Figure 1.2 ESI - TDR Workforce Age Range 

70-79 

60-69 

50-59 

40-49 

30-39 

20-29 

15-19 

Only minor shifts in the age profile of the total ESI transmission and distribution workforce (Figure 1.2) have 

occurred in 2013 and the ageing of the workforce is still expected to have an impact on skills supply. 

As systems integrate and new technologies are deployed of across distribution networks it is anticipated 

that skills demand will remain high. Whilst the ESI sector is highly successful in graduating apprentices, 

in the face of falling apprenticeship numbers, at least in the short term, the up-skilling of existing workers 

to respond to these factors will be necessary. This deepening of skills needs as systems integrate will 

need to be a key feature of industry’s response. 

The ESI Generation sector continues to undergo technological change and changes network ownership. 

These factors are impacting the workforce and skills demand. 

New owners are less reliant on in-house training and are seeking to ensure national standards apply in the 

workplace. This has been highlighted by the new owners of base-load power stations initiating workforce 

development strategies to recognise existing workforce capabilities and provide up-skill training to meet 

endorsed national competency standards from the UEP ESI Generation Training Package. 

The large renewable generation sector has responded with new qualifications and proposed skill sets to 

ensure the availability of appropriate skills for ongoing asset maintenance. 

The impact for generation workers of the deployment of new consumer and distribution network 

technologies will be mainly at the systems operator level. Operators are already engaged in the 

management of energy production and these roles may have to respond to a greater range of variables 

and be required to more flexibly respond to these. A deepening of skills rather than new skills will be the 

major impact for this sector. 

The Gas Supply Industry is also calling for new skills which will be an important part of the development 

of the internet of things. 

Particularly the industry has put forward the following areas for development: 

• advanced scheduling 

• terminal management 

• higher levels of workforce computer literacy 

These skills are required by existing workers and appropriate standards and workforce development 

strategies need to be put in place. 



The role of gas in Australia’s energy mix 

Domestically, gas provides approximately a quarter of the country’s primary energy needs. It provides 

highly efficient fuel for transport and heating/cooling, as well as a low emission intensity source of 

electricity generation. The Gas Supply Industry (GSI), particularly the pipeline network, is a highly efficient 

system for distributing energy with low transmission losses. Each of these factors ensures that gas will 

continue to expand its role in Australia’s (and the world’s) energy mix. 

Structural change in the gas industry is being driven by Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) export facilities being 

built in the north and west, which will propel Australia into the being the world’s largest gas exporter 

within the next few years. These facilities will leverage Australia’s considerable proven reserves of natural 

gas, stable regulatory environment and established transmission network to provide benefits including 

jobs, energy security, royalties and export revenues, which will be felt throughout the economy. 

While there is some justified consternation amongst domestic consumers about the impact of increased 

export capacity on domestic prices, it is clear that Australia’s proven gas reserves are sufficient to meet 

both domestic and export markets. The challenge will be to provide an investment environment which 

encourages an expansion, both in extraction and distribution, to meet predicted demand. 

The many benefits of gas as an energy source, along with improved extraction technologies, are 

expected to drive continued growth in global demand. Over the medium to longer term, this will require 

innovation (both technological and skills based) to access further reserves at an appropriate price. 

Skills impact: The primary challenge will be in augmenting existing supply networks to provide 

opportunities for the expansion of gas usage, with all the associated benefits. Target skills areas in the 

GSI include system operators for gas supply and the workers/builders responsible for the installation 

and maintenance of gas transmission, distribution and generation infrastructure, plant and equipment 

associated with new capital investment. 

The secondary challenge will be in ensuring peak network efficiency is achieved. As with electricity 

networks this will involve accurate measurement and process automation, supported by the ‘internet of 

things’. E-Oz will continue to work closely industry to ensure that GSI workers have the skills required to 

optimise their productivity. 


VET policy environment 

In recent years, the rate of policy change in the VET sector has been hectic. 

Efficiency and quality improvements are recognised as being beneficial and a positive for the system 

overall. However, the multilevel nature of systemic change often leads to poor change management 

characterised by: 

• Competing agendas and priorities for change 

• Contradictory initiatives 

• Uncoordinated and/or inconsistent implementation 

• Diffused responsibility for planning and implementation 

• Frequent, reactive change 

• Ineffective communication of change 

• Arbitrary deadlines for change 

• Inadequate impact assessment and evaluation of outcomes 

Currently there are a number of reforms being undertaken at a number of policy, regulatory standards 

and operational levels, including: 

• Progressive shifts in RTO funding to an entitlement model funding of training 

• Redevelopment of all units of competency to comply with the Standards for Training Packages 

including: 

• Assessment requirements 

• Foundation Skills 

• Recoding of units 

• The development of companion volumes Training Packages 

• Ongoing implementation and refinement of the National Standards for VET regulation 

And further change foreshadowed and not yet implemented. 

• Change from Registered Training Organisations to Licenced Training Organisation including: 

• Providers to incorporated companies or associations 

• Requirement for an accountable education officer 

• Incorporation of VET Quality Project outcomes 

• Systems for interfacing VET with Higher Education 

These represent significant change which has to be effected within our system and; whilst these 

developments are likely valuable, it will be difficult to ascertain their true impact occurring, as they do, on 

top a previous wave of VET reform which may not have been fully operationalised and evaluated. 

It is important to note that whilst this level of change is being implemented in the VET Sector continuous 

improvement processes for nationally endorsed Training Packages (the ISCs core business and 

industry’s priority) must be maintained in response to: 

• New technology and work practice changes 

• Industry regulatory changes 

• WHS/OHS regulatory changes 

• Energy efficiency and sustainability policy 

Further, employers are also, as key end user of the national training system, required to bear the 

administrative costs and burdens of ongoing changes to the system(s) of implementation of VET 

including revision of: 

• Quality assurance systems 

• Human resources systems 

• Reporting systems e.g. apprentice management 

• Training and assessment materials 

Employers’ perceptions of the value of change are diminished by inadequate change management 

and communication processes associated with change. Most notable is the use of “industry requested 

systemic change” as a selling point to industry when stakeholders have neither requested or had input 

into the process of deciding change is needed .Industry enterprises who contribute high level technical 

and training expertise to the development and maintenance of national Training Package standards are 

concerned that poorly managed change at various levels devalues this effort. 

A pause to offer a period of stability and allow for the establishment of new benchmarks for quality and 

efficiency, based on the outcome of current reforms, is imperative. Most major initiatives currently in train 

will deliver outcomes in 2015-16. 



Quality of training and support for VET trainers and assessors 

This issue of the quality and effectiveness of the development of VET trainer/assessor was highlighted 

both in the April 2011 Productivity Commission report into the Vocational Education and Training 

Workforce and the February 2011 Expert Panel’s report A shared-responsibility-Apprenticeships for the 

21st-century. 

Action research conducted as part of the EnergiseOz Apprentice Progression Management pilot, 

indicates that the retirement of experienced teachers with higher level teaching qualifications is 

hampering RTO’s capacity to design and deliver training programs. Newer trainer/assessors, who have 

begun teaching since the introduction of the Certificate IV TAE as a minimum standard (and consequently 

are much less likely to tertiary level teaching qualifications) often lack essential and in some cases, basic 

structured training delivery skills including lesson planning and the use of blended learning techniques, 

using basic IT systems to access electronic learning materials and engaging with the learning styles and 

needs of young people in the Facebook/Myspace era. 

Industry is deeply concerned also at the loss of corporate knowledge within training providers seeking 

to remain in the market place in the face of continued efficiency cuts. This often means that the best 

training expertise is lost to providers and the system more broadly. Increasingly, the staffs of training 

providers are part-time or sessional. Strong evidence is emerging that this is impacting not just frontline 

trainer/assessors but the lack of career progression opportunities is directly impacting the management 

of training provision by skilled and experienced leading trainers or section/department managers. 

In trade areas, such as the trades which underpin the safe delivery of energy services to our community, 

the quality and skills of trainers/assessors are paramount to the ongoing safety and productivity of the 

sector. Investment in re-establishing trade training as a viable career pathway is essential to meeting the 

longer term needs of industry. 

Skills impact: Recent entrants into the VET workforce identify a huge learning curve from full time 

technical work to full time teaching and many refer to a lack of support at this time from their RTOs as a 

cause of discomfort and anecdotally advise this causes some trainers to return to technical roles. Given 

the difficulty in recruiting new entrants and the demonstrable advantages in terms of training outcomes 

of establishing higher level teaching skills, this is a problem that must be addressed. E-Oz supports the 

adoption of a Diploma of Technical Teaching qualification which incorporates industry specific units for 

currency verification with educational delivery and management competencies. 

The intention of promoting this Diploma level qualification is not to replace the Cert IV TAE qualification 

but to encourage new entrants into the sector to undertake a higher level teaching qualification part time 

in their first year (with a part time teaching load). In this manner it is not envisioned that the Diploma will 

act as a barrier for new entrants but that it will encourage them by helping them to develop effective 

teaching and apprentice management skills. 




Current Impact Of Training Packages 

Impact of workforce development programs 

E-Oz Energy Skills Australia continues to provide a brokerage service to industry for training places 

allocated via the National Workforce Development Fund in response to employer demand driven training 

and service enterprises which have identified training as an appropriate workforce development strategy. 

Places allocated June 2012 - Feb 2013 as Reported in 2013 E-Scan this included 585 places for E-Oz 

qualifications, 160 places for identified E-Oz Skill Sets and 26 places for other qualifications (771 

places combined). 

Qualification/Skill Set Title 

Number of Places 

Cert IV Business 3 

Cert IV Project Management 6 

Certificate II Air Conditioning Split Systems 80 

Certificate IV Business Administration 1 

Certificate IV Frontline Management 5 

Certificate IV Hazardous Areas - Electrical 225 

Certificate IV in Electrical - Instrumentation 201 

Certificate IV in Electrical - Rail Signalling 29 

Certificate IV in Electrical Energy Efficiency and Assessment 50 

Certificate IV Training and Assessment 7 

Diploma Building and Construction 1 

Diploma Of Business Administration 1 

Diploma Project Management 2 

ACMA ‘Open’ Cabling Provider – Skill set 60 

PV - Designer/Installer of Grid Connect – Skill set 100 

Total 771 

An additional 1470 training places (including adjustments) were allocated in the period Feb 2013 - June 

2013. This comprised 525 places for identified E-Oz Skill sets and 945 places for qualifications in 691 

E-Oz qualifications and 254 places for qualifications from other Training Packages. Skill sets places 

accounted for 525 places. 



Number of Places 

Advanced Diploma of ESI 7 

Advanced Diploma of Project Management 1 

Certificate II in ESI Powerline Vegetation Control 160 

Certificate III in ESI Generation 40 

Certificate III in Occupational Health and Safety 99 

Certificate III in Telecommunications DRT 90 

Certificate IV in Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Servicing 29 

Certificate IV in Electrical - Photovoltaic systems 60 

Certificate IV in ESI Generation 40 

Certificate IV in Hazardous Areas - Electrical 146 

Certificate IV in Electrical - Instrumentation 228 

Certificate IV in Electrical - Rail Signalling -19 

Certificate IV in Frontline Management 37 

Certificate IV in Training and Assessment 1 

Certificate IV in Work Health and Safety 15 

Diploma of Management 2 

Diploma of Project Management 9 

ACMA Open Cabling Skill set 144 

Service & Repair Carbon Dioxide Ref Systems Skill Set 88 

Service and Repair of Hydrocarbon Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Skill Set 293 

Total 1470 

There was a total of 2241 NWDF places allocated by E-Oz in the 2012-13 Financial Year (including NWDF 

Places reported in the 2013 E-Scan). 

To date, E-Oz has brokered a further 854 NWDF places in the 2013-2014 Financial year. These have 

mostly comprised qualifications (466) for the E-Oz suite of Training Packages. 150 places have been 

allocated for E-Oz identified Skill Sets and the remaining 238 places for qualifications from Training 

Packages including a significant allocation of 198 places to Certificate III Occupational Health and 

Safety. The withdrawal of 19 places for Rail Signaling training is accounted for by changes in enterprise 

ownership and structure leading reduced skills demand and willingness to co-invest. 


Total Places 

Certificate II ESI- Powerline Vegetation Control 27 

Certificate II in ESI - Asset Inspection 65 

Certificate III Occupational Health and Safety 198 

Certificate III Telecommunications DRT 20 

Certificate IV Hazardous Areas - Electrical 90 

Certificate IV in Electrical Instrumentation 284 

Certificate IV Work Health and Safety 20 

Service and Repair Hydrocarbon Refrigeration and Air Conditioning skill set 150 

Total 854 



As noted in 2013, the demand for post trade training (AQF 4) in Hazardous Areas - Electrical and 

Electrical Instrumentation has remained high over the period of this program. Over the three periods 

reported above Hazardous Areas Electrical training has accounted for 15% of total places allocated and 

26% of demand for qualifications from the E-Oz suite of Training Packages. 

In the same period the demand for Electrical Instrumentation training has been approximately 41% of 

qualifications from the E-Oz suite of Training Packages and 23% of all places allocated. 

Whilst there has been some variation in allocations over these periods, which may be accounted for 

by factors such as requirements for RTOs to re-scope for new Training Package versions and delays 

associated with the caretaker period for the recent election there seems to be consistent demand 

training as a workforce development strategy. This is clearly signalled by industry enterprises continued 

willingness to co-invest with government in these technical skills to meet their business needs. 

Electrotechnology 

The tables below reflects the impact of the currently endorsed UEE11 Electrotechnology Training Package, 

including RTOs with current scope by jurisdiction (Table 2.1), UTE99 Qualification - Training contract 

status 2011-2012 (Table 2.2), UEE06 Qualification - Training contract status 2011-2012 (Table 2.3), UEE07 

Qualification - Training contract status 2011-2012 (Table 2.4), UEE11 Qualification - Training contract status 

2011-2012 (Table 2.5) and registered number of Photovoltaic System Installers (Table 2.6). 

Registered Training Organisations serving the Electrotechnology Sector 

The electrotechnology sector is well serviced by RTOs across the nation. Table 2.1 shows the statistics for 

RTOs with current scope to deliver components from the Electrotechnology Training Package by State. 

Table 2.1: RTOs with current scope by state 

Training Package Accessed time ACT NSW NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA Total 

UTE99 

(status: superseded) 

UEE06 


UEE07 


February 2013 0 12 2 0 5 2 6 5 32 

January 2014 6 17 7 5 9 7 9 8 68 

February 2013 0 13 0 1 0 0 0 0 14 


February 2013 2 33 4 44 9 5 41 21 159 


UEE11 

February 2013 1 18 4 32 6 3 25 16 105 

(status: current) 


Source: Training.gov.au - RTO report (accessed January 2014) 


Table 2.2: UTE99 Qualification - Training contract status 

UTE99 Electrotechnology Training Package 

Apprentices and trainees 

Qualification 

Training contract status 

Commencements 

July 2012 - June 2013 

In -Training 

June 2013 

UTE30402 

0 1 

Certificate III in Electrotechnology Communications 

UTE30699 

0 1 

Certificate III in Electrotechnology Data Communications 

UTE30702 

0 1 

Certificate III in Electrotechnology Entertainment and Service 

UTE30899 

0 1 

Certificate III in Electrotechnology Instrumentation 

UTE30999 

0 17 

Certificate III in Electrotechnology Refrigeration and Air Co 

UTE31199 

5 115 

Certificate III in Electrotechnology Systems Electrician 

Totals 5 136 

Source: NCVER, VOCSTATS (accessed January 2014) 

Take-up of UEE Electrotechnology Qualifications 

Table 2.3: UEE06 Electrotechnology Training Package 

UEE06 - Electrotechnology Training Package Training contract status 


Qualification 

Commencements 

July 2012 - June 2013 

In -Training 

June 2013 

UEE30806 

0 10 

Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician 

UEE31306 

0 1 

Certificate III in Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning 

Total 0 11 





UEE07 - Electrotechnology Training Package 


Qualification 


Commencements 

July 2012 - June 2013 

In -Training 

June 2013 

UEE20207 

5 6 

Certificate II in Business Equipment Servicing 

UEE20507 

0 1 

Certificate II in Computer Assembly and Repair 

UEE21310 

1 9 

Certificate II in Remote Area Essential Service 

UEE21610 

2 2 

Certificate II in Security Assembly and Setup 

UEE21707 

0 5 

Certificate II in Technical Support 

UEE22007 

1 5 

Certificate II in Electrotechnology (Career Start) 

UEE30107 

0 4 

Certificate III in Business Equipment 

UEE30207 

0 6 

Certificate III in Computer Systems Equipment 

UEE30210 

1 2 


UEE30407 

8 83 

Certificate III in Data and Voice Communications 

UEE30507 

2 38 

Certificate III in Appliance Servicing 

UEE30510 

5 26 

Certificate III in Appliance Servicing 

UEE30607 

5 84 

Certificate III in Electrical Machine Repair 

UEE30707 

6 45 

Certificate III in Switchgear and Control Gear 

UEE30807 

1698 19300 


UEE30907 

35 399 

Certificate III in Electronics and Communications 

UEE30910 - Certificate III in Electronics and 

70 531 

Communications 

UEE31007 - Certificate III in Fire Protection Control 5 23 

UEE31207 

20 167 

Certificate III in Instrumentation and Control 

UEE31210 

30 78 


UEE31307 

104 1855 

Certificate III in Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning 

UEE31407 

1 31 

Certificate III in Security Equipment 

UEE31410 

31 68 


UEE40407 

0 17 

Certificate IV in Electrical - Instrumentation 

UEE40410 


10 36 


UEE40707 

0 1 

Certificate IV in Electronics and Communications 

UEE40710 

1 0 


UEE42210 

0 1 

Certificate IV in Instrumentation and Control 

UEE50507 

0 2 

Diploma of Electronics and Communications 

Engineering 

UEE60107 

0 10 

Advanced Diploma of Electrical Engineering 

UEE60110 

0 14 

Advanced Diploma of Electrical Engineering 

UEE60207 

0 2 

Advanced Diploma of Electronics and Communications 

Engineerin 

UEE60210 

0 1 

Advanced Diploma of Electronics and Communications 

Engineerin 

UEE60707 

0 2 

Advanced Diploma of Refrigeration and Air- 

Conditioning Engine 

UEE61307 

0 14 

Advanced Diploma of Electrical - Technology 

UEE62110 

0 1 

Advanced Diploma of Engineering Technology - 

Electrical 

Total 2041 22869 





UEE11 - Electrotechnology Training Package Training contract status 


Qualification 

UEE20111 

Certificate II in Split Air-conditioning and Heat 

Pump System 

UEE20511 

Certificate II in Computer Assembly and Repair 

UEE21611 

Certificate II in Security Assembly and Set-up 

UEE21711 

Certificate II in Technical Support 

UEE21911 

Certificate II in Electronics 

UEE22011 

Certificate II in Electrotechnology (Career Start) 

UEE22111 

Certificate II in Sustainable Energy (Career Start) 

UEE30211 


UEE30411 

Certificate III in Data and Voice Communications 

UEE30611 

Certificate III in Electrical Machine Repair 

UEE30711 

Certificate III in Switchgear and Controlgear 

UEE30811 


UEE30911 

Certificate III in Electronics and Communications 

UEE31011 

Certificate III in Fire Protection Control 

UEE31211 


UEE31411 


UEE32111 

Certificate III in Appliance Service 

UEE32211 

Certificate III in Air-conditioning and Refrigeration 

UEE33011 

Certificate III in Electrical Fitting 

UEE40411 


UEE40711 


UEE40911 

Certificate IV in Industrial Electronics and Control 

UEE41211 

Certificate IV in Electrical - Rail Signalling 

UEE42211 

Certificate IV in Instrumentation and Control 

Commencements 

July 2012 - June 2013 

In -Training 

June 2013 

3 3 

1 1 

5 4 

2 2 

15 15 

11 11 

1 1 

1 1 

23 21 

15 13 

5 6 

6024 6884 

261 241 

3 3 

115 104 

41 35 

26 28 

961 1045 

31 54 

26 28 

3 3 

1 1 

5 42 

0 1 


UEE42711 

8 8 

Certificate IV in Air-conditioning and Refrigeration 

Servicing 

UEE50411 

1 1 

Diploma of Electrical Engineering 

UEE50511 

1 3 

Diploma of Electronics and Communications 

Engineering 

Total 7,590 8,558 


Whilst the preponderance of enrolments remains in the electrician and refrigeration and airconditioning 

trades, these statistics indicate the growth in post-trade training especially in the areas of 

instrumentation and control. 

Significantly these statistics do not report much of the post-trade training which the Industry undertakes 

through the completion of higher level qualifications and Skill Sets which are not under contracts of 

training. 

For example the key qualification for photovoltaic renewable energy design and installations UEE42011 

- Certificate IV in Electrical - Photovoltaic systems is not listed in these statistics. This qualification or the 

related post-trade Skill Sets are required to carry out the design and installation of photovoltaic systems 

as small generation units. 

The Clean Energy Council which maintains the national database of accredited designers and installers 

reports that there are a significant number of trained and registered electricians able to carry out this 

work (Table 2.6 below). 

Table 2.6: Registered number of Photovoltaic System Installer, Photovoltaic System Designer and 

Photovoltaic System Designer/Installer 

Clean Energy Council Accreditation 

Number Registered 

Photovoltaic System Installer 639 

Photovoltaic System Designer 166 

Photovoltaic System Designer/Installer 3771 

Total 4576 

Source: Clean Energy Council http://www.solaraccreditation.com.au (accessed January 2014) 



Electricity Supply Industry 

The tables below reflect the impact of the currently endorsed UET12 ESI Transmission Distribution and 

Rail Sector Training Package and the UEP12 ESI Generation Sector Training Package. 

Tables 2.7 and 2.8, shows the statistics for RTOs with scope to deliver components from the two ESI 

Training Packages by jurisdiction. 

Table 2.7 ESI TDR RTOs with Scope 

ESI - TDR Training Package Accessed time ACT NSW NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA Total 

UTT98 


UET06 


UET09 


February 2013 0 4 0 0 1 1 2 2 10 


February 2013 0 16 0 2 3 2 7 3 33 


February 2013 3 26 2 18 7 2 22 5 85 


UET12 

February 2013 1 13 2 12 4 0 13 4 49 



Source: Training.gov.au – RTO Report (accessed January 2014) 

Table 2.8 ESI Generation RTOs with Scope 

ESI - Generation 

Training Package 

UTP98 


UEP06 


UEP12 

(status: Current) 

Accessed time ACT NSW NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA Total 

February 2013 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 3 


February 2013 0 2 1 9 0 2 6 26 46 


February 2013 0 1 1 4 0 0 1 0 7 


Source: Training.gov.au – RTO Report (accessed January 2014) 

Both the ESI sectors are characterised by being serviced by specialised RTOs, including Enterprise 

RTOs which either have both the technical training expertise and can access the highly expensive capital 

equipment necessary to provide industry training or can enter into strong industry partnerships with 

energy network and generation enterprises to enable them to have sufficient resources to deliver training. 

Many of the latter deliver training on the basis of long standing relationships; however, there remains an 

issue when such relations cease to exist and the RTOs retain scope for qualifications gained on the basis 

of such relationships. 


Table 2.9 UTT ESI TDR Qualifications 

UTT Training Package Training contract status 


Qualification 

Commencements 

July 2012 - June 2013 

In -Training 

June 2013 

UTT20198 

0 0 

Certificate II in ESI - Distribution (Powerline) 

UTT30101 

0 0 

Certificate III in ESI - Distribution (Powerline) 

UTT30198 

0 0 

Certificate III in ESI - Distribution (Powerline) 

UTT30298 

0 0 

Certificate III in ESI - Transmission (Powerline) 

UTT30301 

0 0 

Certificate III in ESI - Cable Jointing (Powerline) 

UTT30402 

0 0 

Certificate III in ESI - Rail Traction (Powerline) 

Total 0 0 

Source: NCVER VOCSTATS (accessed January 2014) 



Table 2.10 UET ESI TDR Qualifications 

UET - Transmission, Distribution and Rail 


Qualification 


Commencements 

July 2012 - June 2013 

In -Training 

June 2013 

UET30106 

0 8 

Certificate III in ESI - Transmission 

UET30109 

5 36 

Certificate III in ESI - Transmission 

UET30206 

0 219 

Certificate III in ESI - Distribution 

UET30209 

107 1126 

Certificate III in ESI - Distribution 

UET30306 

0 2 

Certificate III in ESI - Rail Traction 

UET30309 

3 76 

Certificate III in ESI - Rail Traction 

UET30406 

0 54 

Certificate III in ESI - Cable Jointing 

UET30409 

2 63 

Certificate III in ESI - Cable Jointing 

UET30512 

6 6 

Certificate III in ESI - Power Systems - Transmission 

Overhead 

UET30612 

371 415 

Certificate III in ESI - Power Systems - Distribution 

Overhead 

UET30712 

25 20 

Certificate III in ESI - Power Systems - Rail Traction 

UET30812 

16 15 

Certificate III in ESI - Power Systems - Distribution 

Cable Jointing 

UET40109 

0 2 

Certificate IV in ESI - Power Systems 

UET40512 

0 18 

Certificate IV in ESI - Power Systems Substations 

UET50109 

5 31 

Diploma of ESI - Power Systems 

UET60109 

5 36 

Advanced Diploma of ESI - Power Systems 

UET60212 

1 0 

Advanced Diploma of ESI - Power Systems 

Total 546 2126 



Table 2.11 UEP Generation Sector Qualifications 

UEP – Generation Sector Training Package 


Qualification 


Commencements 

July 2012 - June 2013 

In -Training 

June 2013 

UEP20106 

0 0 

Certificate II in ESI Generation (Operations Support) 

UEP30206 

4 6 

Certificate III in ESI Generation (Operations) 

UEP40206 

1 3 

Certificate IV in ESI Generation (Operations) 

UEP40306 

0 0 

Certificate IV in ESI Generation Maintenance (Mechanical) 

UEP40506 

0 0 

Certificate IV in ESI Generation Maintenance 

(Electrical/Electronic) 

UEP50206 

0 3 

Diploma of ESI Generation (Operations) 

Total 5 12 


Newly endorsed version of UET12 and UEP12 

Version 1 of UET12 and UEP12 were endorsed in early 2012. Late in 2012 both the ESI-TDR sector and 

the Generation proposed amendments to the respective Training Packages. These were endorsed as 

UET12 Version 2 and UEP12 Version 2. 

Table 2.12 UET12 ESI –TDR Sector 2012 amendments 

Training package Qualifications Competency Standards Imported Units 

UET12 ESI TDR Sector 


Release 1 13 new qualifications 205 new units 103 new imported units 

11 replaced qualifications 190 replacement units 

Release 2 1 amended qualification 2 new qualifications 

Table 2.13 UEP12 ESI –Generation Sector 2012 amendments 

UEP12 ESI – 

Qualifications Competency Standards Imported Units 

Generation Sector 


Release 1 12 new qualifications 43 new units 104 new imported units 

11 deleted qualifications 182 Amended units 16 imported units removed 

79 units removed 25 units imported updated 

Release 2 1 new qualification 14 new units 

Release 3 13 updated qualifications 5 amended units 2 added skill sets 



Gas Supply Industry 

The tables below reflect the impact of the currently endorsed UEG11 Gas Industry Training Package, 

including RTOs with qualifications on scope (Table 2.14) and current number of enrolments (Table 2.15). 

The GSI is serviced by a small number of RTOs. Table 2.3 shows the statistics for RTOs with current 

scope to deliver components from the Gas Industry Training Package by State. 

Table 2.14 RTOs with Current Scope for UEG Qualifications by State of Head Office Location 

TP Accessed time ACT NSW NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA Total 

UEG06 


UEG11 


January 2013 0 3 0 0 0 1 5 1 10 


January 2013 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 4 


Source: Training.gov.au - RTO report (accessed January 2014) 

Table 2.15 Enrolment by qualification in UEG Gas Industry Training Package 

UEG Gas Industry Training Package 


Qualification 


Commencements 

July 2012 - June 2013 

In -Training 

June 2013 

UEG20211 

10 8 

Certificate II in Gas Industry Pipeline Operations 

UEG30106 

0 19 

Certificate III in Gas Industry Operations 

UEG30110 

0 2 

Certificate III in Gas Industry Operations 

UEG30211 

12 11 

Certificate III in Gas Supply Industry Operations 

UEG40106 

2 32 

Certificate IV in Gas Industry Operations 

Total 24 73 

Source: VOCSTATS (accessed January 2014) 




Future Directions For Endorsed 

Components Of Training Packages 

Migration to Standards for Training Packages 

In 2014-15 E-Oz will transition of all Training Package components so that they comply with the 

Standards for Training Packages endorsed by the NSSC in November 2012. 

This will incorporate the restructuring of all existing units to meet the requirements of the policy including 

the mandated templates for the new Unit of Competency and Assessment Requirements for each 

currently endorsed to include: 

• Redevelopment of the current Unit Descriptor, Application and Licencing/Regulatory requirements 

statements into a single application statement 

• Inclusion of Foundation Skills 

• Specification of the range of conditions 

• Specification of knowledge evidence and mapping to performance criteria 

• Specification of performance evidence and mapping to performance criteria 

• Specification of assessment conditions including assessor competencies and experience requirements 

Additional to these requirements is the need to develop a least one Training Package Companion Volume 

per Training Package. 

The increased specificity required by this template and the need to ensure technical/regulatory 

requirements are explicit has meant the E-Oz has undertaken the development and appropriate language 

based strategy for the migration. This work has required some analysis of the new relationships between 

the two parts (Unit of Competency and Assessment Requirements) of the template as well as the internal 

relationships between sections of each template. 

The task will involve considerable effort on behalf of the ISC and its industry stakeholders who contribute 

their expertise to the development and endorsement of Training Package components. A total of 1186 

native units and 511 imported units currently included in the E-Oz suite of Training Packages will need to 

be migrated comprising: 

• UEE 612 Units plus 89 Imported 

• UET 224 Units plus 105 Imported 

• UEP 241 Units plus 157 Imported 

• UEG 109 Units plus 160 Imported 

It will be important for industry that equivalence of outcomes is maintained where possible. To minimise 

disruption to training programs this must be facilitated at least at the qualification and preferably at the 

unit level. 

However, E-Oz recognises that under the migration process, the requirements of the new policy 

combined with review and development work to be undertaken by industry will mean that some 

existing competencies may be replaced, amended, split or combined to better describe industry 

competency requirements. 


Migration Strategy 

Within the E-Oz Suite of Training Packages the primacy of AQF 3 qualifications which are delivered 

via Trade Apprenticeship and lead to regulated outcomes is recognised by stakeholders. These 

qualifications typically have significant training effort (nominal 48 months) and the highest levels of 

usage, which means that disruption must be minimised for users. 

These also provide essential skills which underpin the higher level skills at AQF 4-6. These are also 

essential to the appropriate identification of AQF 1-2 qualifications as pathways to higher qualifications. 

AQF 1-2 

Qualifications 

AQF 3 

Trade Level Qualifications 

Sectors and Technical Disciplines 

AQF 4-6 

Qualifications 

Accordingly, the overall strategy for migration will be based on the re-development of components 

associated with the AQF 3 qualifications as a platform for the re-development other components which 

comprise other AQF levels. 

This will ensure that key industry qualifications are migrated first so that industry can move forward with 

these as the basis for further migration. 

E-Oz is also aware that there will be over 500 units imported from other Training Packages which will 

need to be incorporated into Energy Skills Australia’s suite of qualifications. Managing the migration 

process to minimise re-work and associated re-versioning of Training Package qualifications will require 

monitoring and coordination with other developers. 

Parallel with the migration processes E-Oz needs to continue to support industry enterprises with the 

development and endorsement of new and revised components as indicated in the current impacts and 

future directions of Training Packages sections of this document which inform the E-Oz Training Package 

continuous improvement plan. 

UEE Electrotechnology Training Package 

The UEE Electrotechnology Training Package covers the broad scope of design, specification, installation 

and maintenance of commercial, industrial and residential electrical, electronic, data communications 

and refrigeration and air conditioning systems across the economy. 

Accordingly, the future directions of this area are diverse. Within this diversity however there is the 

common theme of achieving energy efficiency via smarter integrated technologies. 

To better align with industry needs and provide suitable career pathways, research and development 

activities at the qualification level will include: 

• In recognition of the increased complexity of energy efficiency roles requirements, investigation of 

developing a dual level trade structure in the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning trade to incorporate: 

• AQF 3 level trade 

• AQF 4 level advanced 

• Investigation of alternate pathways in AQF 3 appliance servicing qualifications to provide for 

enterprises which service a variety of appliances including 

• Service refrigeration and air conditioning equipment 

• Servicing of smart appliances 

• Servicing of fixed and plug in restaurant beverage machines 

• Maintenance of evaporative coolers 

• 



• Investigation of the intended job role outcomes of a proposed Diploma of Engineering Technology - 

Renewable Energy, incorporating 

• Industry demand for non-licenced design and technical support staff 

• Identification of appropriate skills and associated units 

• Assessment of outcomes against existing qualifications 

• Research of an AQF 3 level qualification to provide skills for Electronics and Computer systems 

installers and first line support to determine: 

• Industry demand for these job roles 

• Assessment of outcomes against existing qualifications and units 

• Identification of appropriate skills and associated existing units 

• Identification of required new or amended units 

• Energy Storage via battery technology is predicted to contribute significantly to energy efficiency 

and network peak demand management. E-Oz will conduct research across the related, electrical, 

renewable energy and electronics/control disciplines to identify the need for new post-trade 

qualifications in the design, specification, installation and maintenance of battery technology in 

premises, local areas or district/regional scales, incorporating 

• Technical requirements of current systems and technologies 

• Technical attributes of systems and technologies under development 

• Skills requirements for deployment of these technologies and appropriate AQF levels of these 

• The need for and design of new or amended qualifications within the UEE Training Package 

• Industry stakeholders from systems integration enterprises have highlighted the need for a significant 

review and extension of UEE Electrotechnology Training Package qualifications and units relevant 

to systems integration, especially in relation to the deployment of various multiple services and 

technologies which connect to common data communications services for the purposes of control, 

monitoring and reporting. Accordingly, E-Oz will engage with industry enterprises and stakeholders 

to confirm these requirements and identify appropriate training responses. This research and 

development may impact a number of qualifications at AQF level 3 and higher. 

• The requirements of WHS regulations and the use of flammable natural and synthetic gases as 

refrigerants means that industry must establish appropriate training requirements for operatives 

working with these gases and related equipment. Investigation of these requirements will determine 

the extent of new or existing competencies required to be included in electrical, refrigeration and air 

conditioning qualifications related to electrical work in hazardous areas. 

• In 2014 the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will review its cabling provider 

rules and related training requirements. E-Oz will need to engage with ACMA and registering 

bodies to ensure that qualification and competencies are amended or developed to align with these 

requirements including endorsement to registrations for Fibre-Optic work. 

• E-Oz will undertake further engagement with Engineers Australia on the inclusion of requirements 

for alignment to the Dublin Accord in the Advanced Diploma qualifications in the Electronics and 

Computer Systems Engineering. Outcome may include the development or amendment of new and 

existing qualifications. 

• Six new units are programmed to be developed for High Voltage Maritime Propulsion systems which 

will be incorporated into the revised Certificate IV in Electrical Equipment and Systems, Diploma and 

Advanced Diploma of Electrical Systems Engineering. 

• Units addressing Energy efficiency outcomes in Vapour Compression Systems and assessing HVACR 

energy loads will be developed an incorporated into relevant refrigeration and air conditioning 

qualifications along with components for end of life recovery of refrigerants. 

• Industry has also indicated the need to research the development of AQF 8 Graduate Certificate 

and Graduate Diploma qualifications to provide vocational skills to engineering staff in the 

following disciplines: 

• Instrumentation & Industrial Control 

• Refrigeration and Air Conditioning 

• Electronics and Computer Systems 

• Electrical and Data Communications 


UET Transmission Distribution and Rail Sector Training Package 

Development work in the UET Training Package will be mainly at the unit of competency level and focus 

on the following areas: 

• Identification of relevant existing units or the creation of new competency standards for fatigue 

management to be included in the systems discipline and related qualifications at AQF 4-6. 

• The review of existing units and the development of new power system switching units in the new template 

• Research and development of new introductory systems operations units to improve pathways 

• In the vegetation control discipline within UET improvements will include: 

• New units required covering trimming vegetation within the Exclusion Zone using insulated 

equipment/tools 

• Research and development of an appropriate vegetation control refresher training competencies to 

improve safety and workforce mobility. 

• Research of the skills impacts of on-grid energy storage using battery technology for the ESI 

Transmission, Distribution and Rail Sectors including, identifying and developing any new competency 

standards for: 

• ESI systems operators 

• Trade level lineworkers 

• ESI asset inspectors 

• Network design and infrastructure technicians 

• Testing and protection technicians 

• To improve the pathways for skill development for ESI engineering staff the sector will investigate the 

need for graduate diplomas and graduate certificates and their applicability to disciplines to the systems 

operations, testing and protection, electrical engineering and power systems disciplines with UET. 

• Incorporating newly drafted design discipline units into a new AQF 4 qualification in UET Training Package. 

UEP Electricity Supply Industry – Generation Sector 


The generation sector needs to continue to maintain its existing skills base whilst creating pathways to 

new skills as new technologies are adopted. The following activities target these goals: 

• In consultation with Safe Work Australia and jurisdictional WHS/OHS regulators work to migrate 

the existing high risk units for pressure equipment and the specification of mandated assessment 

instruments to the new units template, including: 

• Any revisions or amendments of the existing standards required 

• New Skills Sets for the High Risk Work Licensing on Steam Turbines and the Advanced Boiler 

competency managed by Manufacturing Skills Australia 

• In the renewable energy discipline industry will extend the pathways available for accessing 

competencies developed for large scale wind generation by: 

• Developing Skills Sets for wind turbine generation units with appropriate electrical fitter or electrical 

licence entry requirement. 

• Providing for wind turbine generation units to be included as electives in appropriate post-trade 

AQF 4-5 qualifications. 

• Developing Skills Sets that address pathways to the streams offered by the higher-level electives in the 

existing qualifications including for: 

• Generalist, mechanical, electrical, and control systems operatives. 

• High Voltage Operation – HV Switching 

• High Voltage Operation - Development and coordination of HV switching programs 

• Research and develop a new Certificate III in ESI Small Islanded Power Generation - Operations and 

Maintenance qualification using existing and specifically identified units of competency to ensure 

appropriate skills are incorporated. 

• Investigate career progression pathways from existing AQF 2 Remote Areas qualifications: 

• Pathways to existing qualifications 

• The development of a Certificate III in Remote Area Supply to provide for career progression 

• Engage with enterprises on the identification and development of new units of competency at 

appropriate AQF levels to address operational and maintenance skills for the deployment of waste to 

gas - biomass micro-turbine generation systems 

• Research and identify an appropriate structure for a Generation Skills Passport which builds on the 

model adopted in the Transmission, Distribution and Rail sector. 

• Investigate and identify generation sector skills needs emerging from the adoption of battery 

technology energy storage at various scales to enable generation enterprises access skills to deploy 

these systems at a level which suits the business model. 



UEG Gas Industry Training Package 

The UEG11 Gas Industry Training Package has undergone an extensive, industry led review resulting 

in UEG11 Gas Industry Training Package Version 2. UEG11 Version 2 provides the Gas Industry with 

strengthened qualifications from which it will migrate to the NSSC endorsed Standards for Training 

Packages. Currently scoped development effort which will contribute to the future direction of the UEG 

Training Package comprises: 

• Conducting ongoing research on industry job roles and their alignment with qualifications within the 

UEG Training Package. This work will focus on: 

• Determining if new qualifications should be developed 

• Identifying elective pathways for job roles within existing qualifications 

• Further work on qualification based career pathways within the industry 

• Preliminary research conducted as part of the development of UEG11 Version 2 suggested that 

there may be a need for AQF 8 Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma qualifications to provide 

vocational skills to engineering staff. Further research will be conducted to determine: 

• The requisite skills for engineering staff 

• The type qualifications – Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma 

• The appropriate of units required to address these skills 

• The Gas industry has not yet engaged with the application of the Australian Core Skills Framework 

(ACSF) to identification and communication the Foundations Skills requirements for units of 

competency within the Training Package. This work will need to be carried out to inform the 

redevelopment of the Training Package, including: 

• Application of the methodologies developed to identify and incorporate ACSF levels into the 

Electrotechnology and Electricity Supply Industry Training Packages 

• Validation of identified ACSF levels 

• Development of appropriate support information 

• Identification of suitable units to be imported from the FSK Foundation Skills Training Package to 

support Gas Industry skills development 

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV or Drone) Technology 

The proliferation of UAV technology at various scales has been widely noted in the media. These 

systems can clearly add value when applied to various activities in the energy sector industries which 

are currently rely on either manned aircraft and/or ground based activities to carry out a range of tasks. 

These are principally related to asset surveillance, asset inspections and emergency responses. UAVs 

offer advantages in terms of: 

• the level/detail of inspection or surveillance 

• access to remote, damaged or dangerous sites 

• reduced risk to personnel and equipment 

• data collection including GPS tracking, data logging and real time imaging in various spectra 

• lower costs of inspection and surveillance 

• increased regularity of inspection and surveillance 

• faster and better coordinated emergency responses 

E-Oz will examine the application of this technology to energy sector activities and develop appropriate 

training standards for its application to relevant work activities including but not limited to: 

• Gas pipeline surveillance 

• Electricity distribution and transmission line surveillance 

• Electricity supply asset inspection 

• Generation asset inspection 

• Electrical inspections 

• Emergency response planning and management 

• 




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